Top 10 unusual insurance claims in the South-West

DENTURES flushed down the toilet, a hearing aid eaten by a dog and curtains set on fire after a lighter was used to burn away a loose thread are just some of the more unusual insurance claims by people in the South-West.

Cornish Mutual, which provides insurance cover for more than 24,000 members across the West Country, has revealed a list of the ten most unusual claims it has handled over the past few years.

The insurer’s ten most unusual claims are:

10. Repeated repairs to a Land Rover after a rat continued to methodically eat away the wiring loom before the rodent was eventually caught.

9. A vehicle damaged when it crashed into a parked car – despite this being the only other object in an otherwise empty nine acre field.

8. Damage caused to a car after the vehicle rolled off the edge of a car park and landed with the front of the car balanced on a wheelie bin.

7. A kitchen destroyed when a Member accidentally discharged a firearm which blew in the windows and caused significant damage to the units – just after his wife had left the room.

6. Carpet damage to a holiday let property after a Member upturned a pot of paint and managed to walk it through the house leaving white paint footprints everywhere.

5. A set of dentures accidentally lost down a toilet while a Member was sick.

4. A hearing aid eaten by a dog after it got mixed up with dog biscuits kept in the owner’s pocket.

3. A farmhand who had three vehicle accidents in the same day – including one which occurred on his motor bike while driving back from a previous incident.

2. A VW Golf car completely destroyed when a Member accidentally discharged his firearm inside the vehicle.

1. Substantial fire damage to a property after a Member noticed a loose thread hanging from a curtain and decided to use his lighter to burn it away rather than finding a pair of scissors.